Ger, was right. The opinion from the neurologist, or neurosurgeon should indeed be on top of the list. I was mearly stating that it is OK to go to a pain specialist for another opinion in addition to the nerurologist. Maybe outside that particular facility. I had been in with a PCP for the six years, never realizing I had deterioated, and he didn't question it. I went to the pain specialist as "I Knew" I was getting worse, and had been told before all that could be done was corrected. I didn't think there was any hope of more surgery to help me. I would have sought out a neuro surgeon first had I thought there could be help. So this pain doc. did indeed rescue me, and sent me in the right direction. He gave me Katamine infusions while I waited for the surgery. This did not cause me any problems or pain, not even at injection site. The other epis were terrible. ginnie